This invention relates to the castration of livestock and, more specifically, to a selectively lockable clamp and method for castrating livestock.
Castration is a term used to describe the removal of an animal's testes. Removal of the testes eliminates the production of spermatozoa as well as the animal's chief source of testosterone. Castration is routinely performed on livestock and, particularly, livestock bred for human consumption.
There are several methods of castration. Perhaps the most common method is a surgical procedure which entails the physical removal of the testes with emasculators. This procedure requires that the scrotum of the animal be incised to expose the testes and spermatic cords. The emasculator is then used to sever the spermatic cords, thereby removing the testes.
The main advantage of this procedure lies in its effectiveness in that the testes are physically removed from the animal. The primary disadvantage of the procedure involves the bleeding and likelihood of infection brought about by severing the spermatic cords. Sutures are rarely employed in connection with this procedure and, therefore, the severed cords often bleed significantly. In addition, the severed cords are left relatively open to bacterial migration and occasionally become infected, thereby necessitating subsequent remedial procedures.
Another method of castration involves the use of pinchers to crush the spermatic cords from outside the scrotum. This method, known commonly as the Burdizzo procedure, does not involve surgically invasive measures, such as cutting the scrotum or the spermatic cords, but requires only external manipulation. The crushed cords inhibit blood flow to the testes which subsequently atrophy inside the scrotum.
Principal advantages of this method are the reduced bleeding and the reduced likelihood of infection. One disadvantage with this method is that it is occasionally ineffective. Unless the spermatic cords are sufficiently crushed, the testes may subsist and remain productive. Another disadvantage of this procedure lies in the difficulty of its performance. This procedure requires that the spermatic cords be located and isolated from outside the scrotum so that the pincer can be applied. This is a dexterous exercise which can be very difficult to perform in the field.
Yet another common procedure for castration involves the use of elastrator rings. Elastrator rings are highly elastic rubber rings that are placed over the scrotum of the animal above the testes. The elastrator ring prohibits blood flow to the testes which causes them to atrophy.
As with the pincer method, the main advantage with this procedure is the reduced bleeding and likelihood of infection. A serious drawback with use of elastrator rings, however, is that the efficacy of the procedure may be compromised if the ring is not properly positioned on the scrotum above both testes. Moreover, even if properly positioned, the ring does not always sufficiently reduce blood flow to the testes to bring about atrophy. In addition, the proper employment of elastrator rings is made difficult in the field due to the precise nature of use.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device and procedure for castrating livestock that afford the efficacy of surgical removal of the testes while substantially eliminating the incidence of excessive bleeding and reducing the likelihood of infection as with non-surgical procedures.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device and procedure for castration whereby the testes are physically removed at the spermatic cords with reduced bleeding and with a mitigated likelihood of infection.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a selectively lockable clamp adapted for closure on the spermatic cord so that the clamp may be mechanically rotated thereby twisting the spermatic cord and breaking it.
It is a still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel lockable clamp adapted to be operated by a power rotary device, such as an electric drill, so that the clamp may be rotated rapidly to effect castration in a manner to substantially eliminate bleeding and minimize the likelihood of subsequent infection.